Every year at this time, many homeowners decide to wait until after the holidays to put their homes on the market for the first time, while others who already have their homes on the market decide to take them off until after the holidays. Here are six great reasons not to wait:

Relocation buyers are out there. Companies are not concerned with holiday time and if the buyers have kids, they want them to get into school after the holidays.

Purchasers that are looking for a home during the holidays are serious buyers and are ready to buy.

You can restrict the showings on your home to the times you want it shown. You will remain in control.

Homes show better when decorated for the holidays.

There is less competition for you as a seller right now. Let’s take a look at listing inventory as compared to the same time last year:

The supply of listings increases substantially after the holidays. Also, in many parts of the country, new construction will continue to surge reaching new heights in 2017, which will lessen the demand for your house.

Bottom Line

Waiting until after the holidays to sell your home probably doesn’t make sense.

Call the Grossman Group at (651) 434-7887, or email RLGrossman@CBBurnet.com, for more advice and the best marketing for your home in the Twin Cities area.

Fall and winter are great times of the year to put your home on the market in the Twin Cities and contrary to popular belief, it is possible to have success selling your home during the holidays. Here are a few ways that you can attract the right buyers.

Buyers looking for homes during the cooler, less popular months of the year tend to be more serious about finding a home, which is good news for sellers. Unfortunately, many major holidays occur during this time of year, which is a downside for sellers who enjoy entertaining. Thankfully, it’s possible to keep your home on the market and enjoy the holiday season.

Here are a few tips for successfully selling your home during the holidays:

Don’t Overdo It
If you’re a person who enjoys filling their home with holiday decorations, you’re going to have to tone it down this year. That doesn’t mean you can’t decorate at all, but keep in mind that buyers might have a hard time imagining themselves in your living space if it’s jam packed with mementos and holiday cheer. A few tasteful decorations around your home can still leave you with that bubbly feeling and won’t make your buyers uncomfortable.

No matter what time of the year you put your home on the market, strong smells and personal items are a no-no, so quickly remove family photos and try to refrain from lighting a holiday spice scented candle in every room before showings and open houses.

It’s also worth noting that not every buyer is going to celebrate the same holidays as you do. While you might not see the point in changing the way you enjoy the season for someone else, you have to remember that your main goal is to get your home sold. Don’t do anything to jeopardize that.

Forgo Hosting Duties
You never know if the right buyer is going to only be available to look at your home during the time that you’ve planned a holiday party. You can take the risk of letting your real estate agent know the property is unavailable to show, but at the end of the day you’ll have to decide if you’d rather have the memory of a party or have your home under contract. Tag team with a friend or family member, and agree to help them host this year’s party at their home.

Stay Flexible
Winter, in particular, is a season for staying indoors, and after a long day, the last thing you probably want to do is get bundled up to go wait in the cold while someone comes to look at your home. It’s important to remember that buyers looking at homes during the colder months are probably only looking at homes that they’re seriously considering buying. (They have to get bundled up, too.) Be open to open houses and showings, even if you’d rather stay home.

Don’t Neglect Your Exterior
The ice and snow of an Minnesota winter can create potentially dangerous situations if walkways and sidewalks are not maintained. You should make an effort to keep them clean regardless of whether a showing or an open house is scheduled, but you especially need to do it if one is. Nothing will turn a buyer off of your home more than an ice skating rink for a walkway and a broken ankle as a souvenir of the visit.

If you keep your home clean and safe, stay flexible, and don’t go nuts with decorations, selling your home during the holidays is no different than selling your home during any other time of the year. As long as it’s in good condition and priced correctly, you should have no trouble selling in the current Twin Cities market.

Call the Grossman Group at (651) 434-7887, or email RLGrossman@CBBurnet.com, for more advice and the best marketing for your home in the Twin Cities area.

“It all started after President-elect Donald Trump won the US election.

One of Trump’s big plans is a fiscal-spending splurge: big investments in infrastructure, and cuts to the US’ towering corporate tax rates.

This plan could jump start growth and inflation, and it’s the latter that rocked mortgage rates. Higher inflation expectations triggered a sell-off in bonds, which push up interest rates when they fall.”

Meanwhile, Janet Yellen has indicated to Congress that interest rates could be raised soon. The chairwoman of the Federal Reserve said on Thursday that an interest rate hike “could well become appropriate relatively soon” (Fox Business, Nov. 18).

It is good news for homebuyers at this time: rates remain below 4%, and the real estate market remains healthy with housing starts hitting a nine year high this October (Bloomberg, Nov. 17). But with rates likely to rise soon, homebuyers may have less to spend for their homes come spring.

In commercial real estate news, Marcus & Millichap published their report on the election, and the news was largely positive. “The news was largely positive.

On the plus side, Marcus & Millichap said that the U.S. economy should continue to grow as the new president takes office. As the company says, the U.S. economy is now in its seventh year of a durable but moderate expansion. Marcus & Millichap says that 2 million to 2.5 million new jobs should be added during the next year. The country currently has an unemployment rate of 5 percent and 5.5 million unfilled job openings.

Marcus & Millichap predicts that unless an unexpected surprise hits the country, the economy will continue to grow, something that will result in an increase in commercial real estate construction, leases and sales” (Trump won. What does that mean for commercial real estate? Dan Rafter, Nov. 16).

However, the report also anticipates the rise in interest rates. “Marcus & Millichap says that faster economic growth could result in inflationary pressure, pushing interest rates higher. Mortgage interest rates have already jumped following Trump’s election, with many economists predicting that the average interest rate on a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage loan might soon hit 4 percent.”

There will be a district “dominated by condos in two-story, mansion-style buildings; another primarily composed of townhomes, condos and apartments; and another featuring multifamily housing ranging in height from four to 10 stories wrapped around retail.”

Many questions have arisen around traffic and parking concerns. “The goal is 4,000 new housing units, with a maximum of 1.5 parking spaces per unit. Shared parking ramps, small parking lots for 20 vehicles or fewer, and limited on-street parking are key features.”

The area promises to be green-friendly, including bike paths, car sharing, electric vehicle ports, and LED lighting designed to not block out the night sky.

A central stormwater feature will run north to south, with “‘a series of interesting and attractive spaces across the site.’ What begins to the north as a scenic stream could culminate in a pond at the south end that would be used for winter skating, and a connection to Hidden Falls Regional Park.”

Plans call for a new traffic connection between Cretin Ave and Montreal Ave to reduce pressure on Ford Parkway.

The next Ford site meeting is scheduled for November 21 at 7 p.m. at Lumen Christi Catholic Church. It will focus on transportation and traffic.